The Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, will propose an "in-depth" reform of the dock dues, tariff protection on products imported into the overseas territories, at the next Interministerial Committee of Overseas (CIOM) which will take place on July 3.
The dock dues is a local tax on imports, specific to overseas territories, designed to protect local production, and whose revenues finance overseas local authorities. But this tax is also often considered responsible for the high cost of living. "I'm not in favour of abolishing dock dues, nor am I in favour of the status quo. I think that the right line is that of an in-depth reform of the dock dues, product by product, "said Thursday the minister before the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry on the cost of living overseas.
We have the possibility of an agreement with the local authorities.
Bruno Le Maire, Minister of the Economy
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What is new today is that we have the possibility of an agreement with local authorities, which will allow for the first time the success of this reform of dock dues," he said. "The method that I will suggest at the CIOM is first of all to involve all elected officials" in this reform by making sure to "find ways to compensate, if ever the revenues are lower, the local authorities who will lose these revenues," said Bruno Le Maire.
According to him, it is necessary to "maintain a tariff protection system, let's call things by their name, for products that are made in these territories and instead lift all taxes on products that are not available in these territories" taking the example of rice, widely consumed in the overseas territories, but taxed at 20% while there are almost no rice fields. The total amount of dock dues increased from 1.2 billion euros in 2019 to 1.47 billion in 2022, said the minister.
